THE HIT HAMMER: Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now"

(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)

Johnny Nash - "I Can See Clearly Now"

Hit Number 1: November 4, 1972

Stay at Number 1: 4 Weeks

People always have to try and ruin things for other people. I didn't even know this was a thing, but apparently people came up with ridiculous conclusions that "I Can See Clearly Now" was a song about suicide. That after doing it, they "can see clearly" and that all "the pain is gone." Obviously, that's not true. Johnny Nash, a Texas-born singer who had a large interest in Jamaican music, instead wrote the song about being extremely optimistic. It's a song about overcoming pain and misfortune, instead looking at the brighter spots of life. People always have to try and claim songs are about drugs or depression, when that's rarely ever the case. Conspiracy theorists are never to be trusted.

Nash had the idea to write a song with Jamaican influence after working with Bob Marley on other compositions, and I think we all know that Marley was big into making Jamaican-influenced music. Nash was driven even further into wanting to make Jamaican-influenced music after hearing a couple Paul Simon hits, "Cecelia" and "Mother and Child Reunion". ("Cecelia" was technically a Simon & Garfunkel composition. It made it to #4, and it's a 9. "Mother and Child Reunion" made it to #4 as well, and it's an 8) I don't know that Simon was necessarily going for a Jamaican sound there, but Nash interpreted those songs as being that way, and began to work on "I Can See Clearly Now" and "Stir it Up", two songs that very easily have that inspiration, and the latter being a Marley original. Songs like all of the ones I mentioned would eventually be classified as "reggae music."

Nash was on to something here. By the time he began to work on "Stir it Up", he had already celebrated his 30th birthday, and to that point didn't see a whole lot of chart success. But "Stir it Up" proved to be a good hit for Nash, as he took Marley's song to #12 on the Hot 100 in 1972. (It's a 7) "I Can See Clearly Now" was soon to follow, but instead of being a song with a nice reggae groove, "I Can See Clearly Now" is a relatable song. It's a song that acknowledges how life sucks sometimes, but once you're through the bull crap, it's a whole new world. That's how Nash delivers the song. He sounds like he's seeing a whole new world with everlasting happiness. He didn't kill himself and is now seeing the afterworld, he's just been through some crap, but overcame it and now feels invincible.

The optimism is the key to why "I Can See Clearly Now" works, but Nash's performance is remarkable too. The song starts as a soothing song about hope, but then all of a sudden you're thrust into a wave of excitement. The verse that goes "Look straight ahead, nothing but blue SKYYYY!", is like being lifted up into the heavens. It also proves that Nash has some damn good vocal range. Overall, the song has been, and still continues to be a very good listen. It also helps ease the pain of "My Ding-a-Ling", which occupied the #1 spot before "I Can See Clearly Now". So, that's always a good thing.

Nash didn't have much luck on the Hot 100 after "I Can See Clearly Now", and even more unfortunate, Nash was one of the many great people we lost in 2020, dying at the age of 80. But his lone #1 hit is timeless, it's beautiful and it's just flat out great. I can see clearly how this was a #1 hit.

GRADE: 8/10

10 ALERT!!!:

The Moody Blues' hazy, dreamy, blue-eyed soul "Nights in White Satin", a song first-released in 1967 but re-released in 1972, peaked at #2 behind "I Can See Clearly Now". I love it, yes I love it, oh how I love it. It's a 10.

JUST MISSED:

Lobo's soft, approachable tune "I'd Love You to Want Me" also peaked at #2 behind "I Can See Clearly Now". It's a 6.